Mäch Tower

Mäch Tower
Location	Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Area	Oktoberfest
Status	Operating
Opening date	August 18, 2011
Attraction Type	Drop tower
Manufacturer	Moser's Rides
Height	246 ft (75 m)
Speed	50 mph (80 km/h)
Capacity	500 riders per hour
Riders per vehicle	30
Duration	3:00

Mäch Tower is a drop tower design amusement ride, located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in James City County, Virginia.^[1]

Description

Mäch Tower as it begins its ascent.

Located in the park's Oktoberfest section, Mäch Tower's base is encircled by two concentric rings of pillars from which festive blue, orange, and red banners hang. As the centerpiece of the newly-rethemed area, the tower's bright color palate and signature flags are also mirrored on nearby restaurants, shops, and booths. The ride carriage itself features a large, blue casing that is adorned with depictions of doves, crests, and festive designs that further exemplify the German theme. The queue line is located in a Bavarian-lodge style wooden covering that wraps around the tower's base.

Standing 246 feet tall, Mäch Tower is the tallest ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and the only full-sized drop tower thrill ride at any of the parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Announced in September 2010, Mäch Tower soft-opened on August 18, 2011 (initially having been targeted for a "late spring 2011" opening. The gondola holds thirty riders divided into four colored zones (red, green, blue, and yellow). It ascends at a rate of 6 feet per second to the top, completely three revolutions along the way to give all riders a panoramic view of the park and the nearby James River.

The ride is also unique in that it has on-ride audio, with speakers attached to the ride carriage playing classical, European-themed music during the ride's ascension. Once the gondola has reached the top of the tower, the classical music ends in three dramatic notes which trail off in an echo. Afterwards, the entire carriage vibrates from top to bottom, giving the illusion of a charge or shock passing from head to toe. Immediately thereafter, the carriage drops at 60 miles per hour.

Mäch Tower uses a magnetic braking system to slow the carriage quickly and smoothly once it reaches the bottom of the tower. This system - typical for many drop tower rides - is fail-safe, because magnets do not need powered by electricity or other sources; they work intrinsically by the laws of magnetism.

Taller riders with long torsos, or more stout riders, may find that they don't fit in the seats. The problem is that while the shoulder harness locks the seat sensors will not register the harness as secured. This will prevent the ride from launching. Such passengers will have to leave the ride. As of August 26, 2011 operators were giving passengers thus removed from the ride a pass that permitted a single re-ride on another attraction in compensation.

Construction

According to reports, 760 cubic yards of concrete was needed to create the towers foundation. The foundation required 85 concrete delivery trucks, and took 10 hours of consistent pouring to lay the entire base.^[2]

Reception

According to reports, some coaster enthusiasts were disappointed with the decision to construct Mäch Tower, as it was viewed as a generic, off-the-shelf carnival ride that lacked the theming and storytelling of Busch Gardens' other rides (the same accusations had recently incited the closure of Disney California Adventure's Maliboomer drop tower). Larry Giles, vice president of Busch Gardens engineering and maintenance, stated during an interview “We did not need to go for six hundred feet” and “I guarantee you anyone who rides the tower will be screaming on the way down”.^[3] Referring to Mach Tower’s height of 246 feet, the tower falls short of other rides of its kind, most notably compared to nearby Kings Dominion's 305 foot-tall Drop Tower: Scream Zone, opened in 2003. The tallest drop tower in the world, The Giant Drop at Dreamworld Australia, stands at 390 feet.^[4]

Attraction reviewer Brian Krosnick noted in his review of the ride that Mäch Tower does put a unique spin on the drop tower, noting that Busch adds a festive design, a prime location, and unexpected surprises [in the music and vibration], resulting in a "grand, detail-oriented experience that puts you in your place and demands respect."^[5] He also encouraged skeptics to remember that Mäch Tower is only the first stage in a multi-year expansion for the Oktoberfest section, culminating in spring of 2012 with the opening of a new, multi-launch roller coaster,^[6] specifically mentioning that "next year when half of the [Oktoberfest] area goes “dark and sinister” with the Gardens’ hinted-at, multi-launch, world’s-first coaster, you better believe people will be flocking towards the bright blue beacon that guides the way."

References

1. ^ "Busch Gardens Williamsburg". Busch Gardens. http://buschgardens.com/Bgw/. Retrieved June 11, 2011. 
2. ^ Kennedy, Amber Lester (February 8, 2011). "Foundation Laid for Busch Gardens' Tower Ride". Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. http://www.wydaily.com/local-news/5846-foundation-laid-for-busch-gardens-tower-ride.html. Retrieved June 11, 2011. 
3. ^ Gruss, Mike (October 6, 2010). "Busch Gardens drop tower is not for the faint of heart". Hampton Roads. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/busch-gardens-drop-tower-not-faint-heart. Retrieved June 11, 2011. 
4. ^ "The Giant Drop". Dreamworld. http://www.dreamworld.com.au/Rides/Thrill-Rides/The-Giant-Drop.aspx. Retrieved June 11, 2011. 
5. ^ "Mäch Tower Review at Theme Park Tourist". Theme Park Tourist. http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20110819/4650/review-m-ch-tower-busch-gardens-williamsburg. Retrieved August 21, 2011. 
6. ^ "Busch Gardens Williamsburg". Busch Gardens. http://www.buschgardens.com/bgw/CP/?page=BigNews. Retrieved June 11, 2011. ^{[dead link]}